The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-11-01
TIE GAS MAIN BREAKS
on wnEELlNa COMPANIES LINE
On Isutialo Crock, with Serious Consequence
10 Industries of the CITY md Vicinity.
Tho Break Rspaired and tho Other
Company Helps Them Out.

q Yesterday morning before daylight tho
gss in the pipes Of the Wheeling and Man.
uiacturstb' Gas Company lhowod signs OF
giving out, and shortly failed entirely.
Examination along the line uhowed that
there was o serioup break in Tho main plps
on Buffalo creek, about twslvc miles from
tho city, It was hard totopj lecture the
cauac, but from tho f.os.the pipe had evil.
IDENTIFY parted with much force, II Ia in.
icrred that tho extremely cold weather
had caused the pipes to contract, thus
loosing tho joint, and allowing the gas to
escape. The "collar" was thrown OH. Of
tho ground with such iorco as to break the
telepons CROSS above.
Superintendent McGrew loat no time in
getting 10 the scene Of tho accident, and
with lotcs OF men worked oil day, and
lehor,ly after four o'clock everything waa
again in good order, and the gus was
turned on.
The accident compelled all thoss indus.
triBl establishments III tho city which
could do 40, 10 ahnt down. The glass jac.
tories, which could not suspend operations
withou. heavy loco, were furninhed With
cau by the Natural Gag Company OF West
Virginia, which atonce connected Its malns
with those Of the other company Tor this
purpose. This enabled The glass compa.
MES to keep enough heat in their f1rnacer
to prevent The glaca h their potu from
, chilling.
The Inconvenience in Wheeling was
confined to tho few manufactures. Z While
the necessity OF shutting down to then
wss seroua matter, the general public
lelt 10 direct Inconvenience. At Bellaire
!, bridgeport and Martins Ferry 1t was
different. There number OF families are
supplied with gas fuel for domestic pur,
poaea, and tho annoyance to them was &C
general and wide spread that it aeenod
much greater than hero. all tho glaa:
factories and iron mills, fouudrlea aut
other works on the other aide OF the
river are supplied by tho Wheeling Com.
j pany, and they all had 10 suspend opera
lions till the gas was sgain turned on. Or
this side como OF the mills obtain thoii
supply from the Weat Virginia Company
and they were able to run, although iol
part oil tho day the supply wss a littlt
: weak, owing to tho drain on the pipes
, from the other ,company'a consumers.
Superintendent MCGrew aaid to en- In
5 TELLl0EScER reporter last night thst h,
did not believe tut. the contraction Of III,
pines from the cold wss the cause Of thl
break, although tho effect of tho rathel
sudden cold weather might have had it
result. He thought after inspecting tn.
break that the accident muat have beer
due to a flaw III tho main when II va
originally laid. The force Of the eecapiu,
gas, he said, must have been tremendous
!, 4 stone or piece OF lead from the Join
had been blown with euch force aa tu Gu
: short off q telephone polo at leaet fit,
!. feet from the place. About three hun
bred feet from the plscs and in atraiRh
line with the broken telephone pole wae
tree, limb OF which wae cut square Of
: by the same missile. The force Of th
projactile wss equal to that Of ball 1iIe'
from cannon.
Tho Wheeling Company will to.de,
turn into its pipes the increased aow from
its HARRISON No. well, which was drillet
. into the second sand las. week, and cam
: in st iorcs OF 600 pounds TO the squsr
: inch. The company Is doing now wha
was never before Ottempted-utilizing tn
4 flow from two different sands separated
. out OF the samo we'll. When full fore
, is desirable and ell Tho mills and factorie
are on the heavier pressure from tho lowe
lsspd is utilized. On Saturday sfterEoon
4 or Sundays, or any occaricn when th
coneumption Of gas is Light, the lowe
, ssnd ie nhut in and the gas allowed to ao'
= into the pips from the upper sand, tn
!. flow which was formerly u;iiEsd. Thi
i is rendered possible by having !ou, inc
Z pipe inside Of q six-iuch one. the inna
\ one reaching tho lower sand and the QUITE
! one only the first sand. -
J The company haa plenty of ga1 no.
Z and after to-day will have a l,w gres
deal stronger than ever before. Accident
ara liable to happen, and while one liz
this ia very earious il its consequence
Of course it could not be helped.